Data Scientist - Open Science - Climate & Weather

Education

• PhD (c) Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• MSc. Meteorology - Universidad Nacional de Colombia
• Bs. Agricultural Engineering - Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Work Experience

Graduate Research Assistant @ CLiMAS-UIUC

• Investigate particle size distribution (PSD) retrievals using dual-frequency precipitation radar measurements.
• Improve warm cloud and rain microphysical models to reduce uncertainties in surface rainfall estimation.
• Develop frameworks integrating machine learning models with physical models for precipitation estimates.
• Use Python libraries like Xarray, xradar, and DataTree to organize, process, and visualize radar data hierarchically.
• Train deep learning models like Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (CGAN) and Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) to enhance PSD retrievals.
• Apply FAIR principles to create Analysis-Ready Cloud-Optimized (ARCO) datasets for radar and climate data.
• Contribute to open-source Python projects like Xarray and xradar, advancing their utility in geoscience.

Radar Meteorologist and Software Developer @ IDEAM (Colombian National Weather Services)

• Weather data integration, manipulation, and product generator for early warnings nationwide
• Software developer for radar and satellite data visualization used by Colombian NWS across social media.
• Multi-sensor quantitative precipitation estimation for societal applications
• Radar meteorology lecturer: Delivered specialized radar meteorology training to operational forecasters and aeronautical meteorologists.

Publications

• Ladino, A., Nesbitt, S.W., Di Girolamo L., Rauber M.R., McFarquhar G.M. Droplet size distribution retrieval from dual-frequency precipitation radar measurement using a deep neural network. (In preparation)

• Ladino, A., del Moral Méndez, A., Javornik, B., Michelson, D., Wolfensberger, D., Ghiggi, G., DeHart, J., Figueras i Ventura, J., Giles, J., Mühlbauer, K., Grover, M., Dixon, M., Jackson, R., Collis, S., Cha, T.-Y., & ERAD2024 Open Radar Science Shortcourse contributors. (2024). ERAD 2024 Open Radar Science Shortcourse. Zenodo. 10.5281/ZENODO.13694510

• Ladino, A. (2024). Raw2Zarr - A Python package for converting Colombian weather radar raw data into Zarr format, following FAIR principles for improved accessibility and usability within the global research community. (0.1.2). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13844834

• Ladino, A., Rivera N., Grover M., Scientific data workshop with Python and R - AtmosCol 2023. (2023). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8347110

• Grover, M., Sherman, Z., Sharma, M., Ladino, A., Camron, C., & Radar Cookbook contributors. (2023). Radar Cookbook (v2023.06.23). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8075855

• Rivelli Zea, L., Nesbitt, S.W., Ladino, A., Hardin, J.C., Varble, A. Raindrop Size Spectrum in Deep Convective Regions of the Americas. Atmosphere 2021, 12, 979. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12080979

• Montanyà, J., López, J. A., Morales Rodriguez, C. A., van der Velde, O. A., Fabró, F., Pineda, N., Navarro-González, J., Reglero, V., Neubert, T., Chanrion, O., Goodman, S. J., Østgaard, N., Ladino, A., Romero, D., Solà, G., Horta, R., & Freijó, M. (2021). A Simultaneous Observation of Lightning by ASIM, Colombia-Lightning Mapping Array, GLM, and ISS-LIS. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 126(6), e2020JD033735. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033735

Conferences & Seminars

• Improvement of liquid particle size distribution retrieval from dual-precipitation radar measurement using a deep neural network
  European Radar Conference – ERAD 2024. Oral presentation.
  Rome, Italy. 09/24

• Leveraging FAIR principles for efficient management of meteorological radar data
  European Radar Conference – ERAD 2024. Poster presentation
  Rome, Italy. 09/24

• Leveraging FAIR principles for efficient management of meteorological radar data
  Scientific Python Conference – SciPy 2024. Poster presentation
  Tacoma, United States. 06/24

• Open science: reproducibility, access, data inclusion, codes, and methodologies used during scientific research to promote collaborative development and science at all levels of society.
  I Simposio de la Red de Investigadores de Ciencias Atmosféricas en Colombia AtmosCol-2023. Oral presentation.
  Armenia, Colombia. 11/23

• Co-Chair, Session 12B: Airborne and Spaceborne Radars III: Spaceborne Radar Observations and Emerging Platforms
  40th AMS Radar Conference
  Minneapolis, United States. 08/23

• Assessment of the GPM rainfall retrieval algorithm using in-situ measurements.
  40th Conference on Radar Meteorology. Oral presentation
  Minneapolis, United States. 08/23

• Characterization of macrophysical characteristics of clouds and precipitation during the CAMP2EX field campaign.
  American Geophysical Union - Fall meeting. Poster
  New Orleans, United States. 12/21

• Colombian National Weather Radar Network. Quantitative precipitation estimation advances.
  Hydrometeorological applications of weather radars. Second edition. Oral presentation
  Cartagena, Colombia. 09/19

• Colombian National Weather Radar Network Evolution and Conformation. New challenges for a country highly affected by hydrometeorological events.
  IV Radarization and Early Warning Systems Symposium of the Southern Cone. Oral presentation
  Córdoba, Argentina.